High School Top 10: Perkiomen Valley Keeps Chugging Along

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Back in September, they may have appeared as a dot in the distance to some that watch area high school football. We're in November and they're not a dot anymore. Perkiomen Valley is making a deep run in the PIAA District 1 6A playoffs, one of four semifinal teams with Delaware County traditional powerhouse Garnet Valley, North Penn and Coatesville.

Tonight, the No. 3 seed Vikings host No. 10 Garnet Valley (10-2), after the Jaguars absolutely destroyed No. 2 seed Neshaminy, 42-14, in the quarterfinal round last week, while No. 1 North Penn (12-0) hosts No. 4 Coatesville (11-1).

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What makes Perkiomen Valley probably the most difficult to defend is the Vikings' vaunted passing game. They have the best passing combination in the area in senior lefty quarterback Stephen Sturm, who threw for 331 yards and four touchdowns in Perkiomen Valley's 44-21 win over a very good Downingtown East team, and senior Justin Jaworski, the Pioneer Athletic Conference's all-time leading receiver who has 72 catches for 1,351 yards and 13 scores this season.

The Vikings are explosive and scary to defend because of Sturm's ability to run. He scored on a 71-yard TD run against Downingtown East. According to Papreplive.com, Sturm's 8,290 career passing yards for a 6A quarterback (previously 4A under the olf PIAA configuration) in Pennsylvania, eclipsing the mark of 8,162 yards previously held by Downingtown East's Pat Devlin.

First-year head coach Rob Heist inherited the system from former coach Scott Reid. They spread teams out and dare them to go one-on-one in lokcing them down. Through 12 games, it hasn't worked.

"For one, Sturm and Jaworski are excellent football players; two, they bought into our system and have done very, very well. They're like the equivalent of having two coaches on the field for us," Heist said back in September. "They have an awesome chemistry together. We don't have historically some of the horses up front as some of these traditional powerhouse 6A schools do. Their offensive lines are absolutely enormous, so years ago, we got together as a staff and opted to go to a spread offense to compete.

"We like to get our athletes with the ball in space and figure out pass concepts that are going to be difficult to cover in typical zone and man high school defenses. It's grown from there. Scott Reid has an awesome offensive mind and our o-line coach does a great job of putting together protections and run schemes. It's created a challenge for people."

Perkiomen Valley reached the District 1 [previously 4A] quarterfinals last year, losing to Pennsbury. That team has returned almost intact."

CBS Philly's Area Top 10 Power Ratings For Nov. 18, 2016
1. St. Joe's Prep (Record: 10-0)
2. Imhotep Charter (Record: 10-0)
3. North Penn (Record: 12-0)
4. Perkiomen Valley (Record: 12-0)
5. Timber Creek (NJ) (Record: 9-0)
6. Archbishop Wood (Record: 7-2-1)
7. Coatesville (Record: 11-1)
8. Lenape (NJ) (Record: 9-0)
9. Garnet Valley (Record: 10-2)
10. West Deptford (Record: 9-0)

Southeastern PA Top 10 For Nov. 18, 2016
1. St. Joe's Prep (Record: 10-0)
2. Imhotep Charter (Record: 10-0)
3. North Penn (Record: 12-0)
4. Perkiomen Valley (Record: 12-0)
5. Archbishop Wood (Record: 7-2-1)
6. Coatesville (Record: 11-1)
7. Garnet Valley (Record: 10-2)
8. Malvern Prep (Record: 7-3)
9. Downingtown East (Record: 9-3)
10. Neshaminy (Record: 11-1)